Siouxland Architects Elected to 2013 AIA Iowa Board

Des Moines, Iowa (December 17, 2012) – The American Institute of Architects, Iowa Chapter (AIA Iowa), has elected two Siouxland architects to serve on the 2013 AIA Iowa Board of Directors, Nathan Kalaher, AIA, as President-Elect and Todd Moss, AIA, as Past President.

Nathan Kalaher, AIA, President-Elect

Nathan Kalaher, AIA, is a Principal at PlaN Architecture located in Sioux City. Nathan was instrumental in the development of ISU Design West, developed as a part of Sioux City’s Iowa Great Places program. PLaN’s services include commercial design, renovation of historic buildings, sustainable design, educational facilities, site design, and residential design. Kalaher is a 2002 graduate of Iowa State University’s Bachelor of Architecture program and a 2006 graduate of Cornell University’s Master of Architecture program.

Todd Moss, AIA, Past President

Todd Moss, AIA, is President and CEO of Cannon Moss Brygger Architects, a highly collaborative design firm, with three locations in Iowa and Nebraska. Moss has over 25 years experience in all phases of architecture practice. As President and CEO he also leads the firm’s marketing and practice management efforts. Moss is actively engaged in designing some of the firm’s major projects. Moss joined the AIA Iowa Board of Directors in 2006. Moss has been a longstanding community volunteer and served on numerous boards and committees, he is a former Sioux City Mayor ProTem, Chairman of the Sioux City Planning & Zoning Commission, and Chairman of the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. He also served as the Chair of the 2010 Siouxland United Way Campaign.

Other AIA Iowa elected officials include:

Mindy Aust, AIA, Secretary

Mindy
Aust, AIA, is an Architect at Substance - a collaborative design
practice engaged in the disciplines of Architecture, Interior
Architecture, Master Planning, and Design in Des Moines, Iowa. Aust is a
2001 graduate of Iowa State University and has been with Substance
since 2005. She has contributed to projects recognized with awards for
design excellence from AIA Iowa and the Central States Region, as well
as by the National AIA’s Committee on Design/Committee on the
Environment House for an Ecologist Design Ideas Competition. In 2011,
her work on the renovation of the Cedar Rapids Courthouse won a
prestigious American Architecture Award from the Chicago Athenaeum as
well as a GSA Design Award. She has served on AIA Iowa’s Convention
Committee and is currently a member of AIA Iowa’s Diversity Committee.

Curt Gear, AIA Allied, Allied Director

Curt
Gear has served as the Vice-Director for the AIA Iowa Allied Membership
for the past two years and is now the Allied Director on AIA Iowa’s
Board of Directors providing a gateway of connections between architects
and firms and allied members. Curt is employed at Coreslab Structures, a
manufacturer of precast concrete, prestressed concrete products and
Hollowcore slabs. Coreslab’s precast prestressed concrete products have
been used in the construction of some of the world's most high profile
buildings. Coreslab Structures services most of the continental USA and
South Eastern Canada.

Jill Goedken, AIA, Director

Jill
Goedken, AIA, is a Director at INVISION- a client-centered,
service-oriented architecture firm that produces outstanding design in
Des Moines, Iowa. She is a leader in community involvement serving as a
member of the Junior League of Des Moines since 1999 and volunteering
locally with the Two Rivers Art Expo and Impact Des Moines. A 1993
graduate of Iowa State University, Goedken has been an integral part of
the leadership of AIA both locally with Central Iowa Architects and at
the state level with AIA Iowa for 19 years. Goedken is a graduate of
the Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute where she took a leadership
role in building a playground at Blank Park Zoo and has been involved in
large projects including a $48 million addition to Iowa State
University’s large animal hospital. In addition to design, Goedken is a
strong advocate for mentoring young architects.

Danielle Hermann, AIA, Director

Danielle
Hermann, AIA, is a Project Architect at OPN Architects, Inc., an
architecture firm recognized for its seamless blend of architecture,
interior design, and landscape architecture located in Des Moines, Iowa.
A strong advocate for diversity in the architectural field, Hermann is
the a founder and charter member of Iowa Women in Architecture and
founder of AIA Iowa’s Diversity Committee which explores relevant issues
within the architectural community and assists in the development of
programs and initiatives that foster and sustain cultural breadth and
inclusion. She has been a part of multiple projects in the Des Moines
community including the renovation of Hoyt Sherman Place auditorium, the
Salisbury House & Gardens and Terrace Hill and was named one of the
2012 Forty Under 40 Honorees. Hermann received both her Bachelors of
Architecture in 2001, and Masters of Architecture in 2008, from Iowa
State University.

Sanjay Jani, AIA, Director

Sanjay
Jani, AIA, is President and Architect of AKAR Architecture and Design, a
holistic architectural and interior design firm located in Iowa City,
Iowa. Jani originally founded AKAR Architect & Design while still a
student studying in Bombay, India. He has been a member of AIA Iowa
since 1993 and is an active member in his community helping to maintain
his firm’s reputation for the highest standards in design, management,
and technical achievements.

Matt Ostanik, AIA, Treasurer

Matt Ostanik, AIA, is President and Founder of Submittal Exchange, a
growing technology company located in West Des Moines, Iowa that
provides a comprehensive, secure, online system for Architects,
Engineers, Contractors, Construction Managers, and Facility Owners to
manage communications on commercial construction projects. Submittal
Exchange, which recently became a division of Textura Corporation, has
received many accolades under Ostanik’s leadership, including
recognition as one of Inc. magazine’s 2011 Top Small Company Workplaces.
Ostanik received his college education from Iowa State University, a
Bachelor of Architecture in 2001 and his Master of Business
Administration in 2009. He has been involved within AIA Iowa as Chair
and Member of the AIA Iowa Young Architects Committee, AIA Iowa Public
Relations Committee, and is a member of the Iowa Architect magazine
Editorial Board. Within the community, Ostanik is a member of the City
of Dallas Center Board of Adjustment, a participant in the Greater Des
Moines Leadership Institute Class of 2011, and a volunteer for
Rebuilding Together Greater Des Moines.

Gregory Palermo, FAIA, Iowa State University Representative

Gregory
Palermo, FAIA, is a Professor of Architecture at Iowa State University
in Ames, Iowa and has been part of the ISU teaching community since
1992. Prior to his tenure at Iowa State, Palermo taught at Washington
University in St. Louis, MO and has over twenty years of professional
architectural practice in leadership positions. Among his many notable
achievements at ISU, Palermo has earned the Iowa State University Miller
Fellowship (1996-1997, 2003-2004), received the College of Design
Faculty Award for Extraordinary Performance (2003), the AIA Iowa
Educator Award (2007) and was the recipient of the Association of
Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA), Distinguished Professor
Award. While also at ISU, Palermo has served as President of the Faculty
Senate, was a Big XII Faculty Fellow at Texas Tech, and co-authored Ethics and the Practice of Architecture.

Linda Schemmel, AIA, President

Linda
Schemmel, AIA, is currently a Planner for the City of West Des Moines,
Iowa. Her work includes review of current development projects within
the city along with managing redevelopment, economic development and
capital improvement projects, many focused in the Historic Valley
Junction area. Schemmel also maintains membership with the American
Planning Association, International Code Council and serves on the
Builder Advisory Council for the Center on Sustainable Communities.
Prior to her work with the City, she founded Design Development Inc., an
architectural firm located in Valley Junction. Schemmel joined the AIA
Iowa Board of Directors in 2006. She also previously served on the West
Des Moines Plan and Zoning Commission for six years, two years as Chair.

Tim Schroeder, AIA, Director

Tim
Schroeder, AIA, is Vice President of Neumann Monson Architects, Iowa
City and Des Moines, Iowa. He is a 1994 graduate of Iowa State
University and is very involved in his firm’s sustainability endeavors.
His leadership includes several sustainable firsts in Iowa including:
the first green roof project, the first LEED-certified school, and the
first LEED-certified public building. This progressive work garnered the
AIA Iowa’s first Sustainability Award. In addition, Schroeder's design
work has been honored in Iowa and regionally. He has served on the Iowa
Architectural Foundation Board and the Iowa Architect Editorial Board –
serving as editor from 2008 to 2010. Schroeder was a 2008 recipient of
the national AIA’s Young Architect Award.

Jenna Thompson, Assoc. AIA, Associate Director

Jenna
Thompson, Assoc. AIA, is an Architect Intern for SVPA Architects Inc.,
an architecture, interior design, and graphic design firm in West Des
Moines, Iowa that believes in the philosophy "together everyone achieves
more;” providing clients with solutions that are as unique as their
architectural challenges. Thompson, a 2009 Iowa State University
graduate, is active in her community and with AIA Iowa. She currently
serves as Vice-Chair/Director of Education and Programs for Iowa Women
in Architecture and is an active participant in the planning committee
for Canstruction, an annual event that combines the competitive spirit
of design and architecture with a unique way to help feed the less
fortunate. Thompson has been an AIA Iowa member since 2009.

Josephy Tursi, AIA, Second Vice President

Joseph Tursi, AIA, is an Architect at OPN Architects, Inc., in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. OPN Architects is a holistic architectural, interior design and landscape architecture firm with offices in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines. A 1991 graduate of Iowa State University, Tursi is involved with the AIA Iowa Public Relations Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Cedar Rapids Iowa City Architects Council, a local AIA Iowa section.

Gary Van Dyke, AIA, Director

Gary
Van Dyke, AIA, is a Principal Architect at Shive-Hattery, Inc., an
architecture and engineering firm located in West Des Moines, Iowa that
has provided a single source solution to clients with unique design
services for 117 years. Van Dyke is a 1984 graduate of Iowa State
University and is currently on the Board of Trustees for the Iowa
Architectural Foundation where he is serving on the Programming
Committee. Van Dyke’s experiences span over three decades with a current
focus on healthcare architecture. He has been a member of AIA Iowa
since 1985 and is presently a member of the U.S. Green Building Council,
an organization dedicated to sustainable building design and
construction.

Since 1857, the American Institute of
Architects has represented the professional interests of America's
architects. AIA Iowa, headquartered in Des Moines, is a statewide
affiliate of the national AIA. AIA members express their commitment to
excellence in design and are proactive in the design of livable
communities. Members adhere to a code of ethics and professional conduct
that assures the client, the public, and colleagues of an AIA member
architect's dedication to the highest standards in professional
practice. For more information, go to www.aiaiowa.org or call
515.244.7502.

For interviews with any of the
Board of Directors or photos, please contact Jessica Reinert at AIA
Iowa, (515) 244-7502, or e-mail her at jreinert@aiaiowa.org.